


From the Heart

by thesewarmstars



Series: SS/MM Christmas [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-15
Updated: 2010-01-15
Packaged: 2018-01-25 09:43:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1644221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesewarmstars/pseuds/thesewarmstars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On Christmas morning, Minerva braves the Great Hall.</p><p>This fic was inspired by two different prompts from <a href="http://community.livejournal.com/mini_fest/profile">Mini Fest</a> – ‘Second War, Order of the Phoenix Secret Santa’ and ‘First kiss’.</p>
            </blockquote>





	From the Heart

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer:** I’m not making any money off this story.

The next morning, she walks into the Great Hall bleary-eyed. 

She curled in a ball on the sofa and fell asleep soon after reading Albus’ note, uncaring about her other presents, but it was not at all restful. She feels as if she has not slept in days.

The first person she really sees is Severus and she feels an urge to retreat back to her quarters. His presence fills up the room and presses on her, and she thinks perhaps this thing she has taken pleasure in every other time might break her today. But he has spotted her already and she cannot bring herself to leave, not with him standing there looking at her.

He peers at her curiously, almost apprehensively, and she knows what he’s looking for. No, she wants to tell him, I’m not wearing it, I couldn’t. But then his brow furrows and he presses his lips tight together, and she knows that he has already seen for himself. She begins to regret her decision at the pinched look on his face, but she honestly doesn’t know if she could have borne it.

“Minerva!” Albus calls, coming over to clasp her shoulder. “Happy Christmas! How are you this morning?”

She sighs. “Fine, Albus. And you?” She cannot help noticing Severus step closer to them.

“Splendid! Simply splendid. I’m quite pleased with how my little Secret Santa scheme played out,” he says, and something wells up from her chest and tries to choke her. She catches Severus’ eye and quickly looks away. Must she endure this conversation? The indignity is too much. _Sodding fool!_

“How did you like yours?” Albus continues, oblivious to her discomfiture. “I do hope Molly took my advice and got you that necklace you liked so well.”

Her breath catches in her throat and she glances from Albus to Severus, who is even closer now, looking at her like he has something he wants to say but won’t. 

“Necklace? Molly?” she asks, confused, desperate.

Albus completely forgotten, she turns to face Severus. “It wasn’t…? You didn’t…?”

“As if I would participate in such a farce. Is that what you thought?” he says with an uncharacteristically soft look in his eye. She drinks it in and it pools in her belly, twisting and flipping as she waits for him to finish. 

“Certainly not. My gifts are…” He pauses, glancing away and swallowing thickly, then looks her in the eye. “From the heart.”

Her jaw is gaping unbecomingly, she knows it, but there is nothing else to do in that moment.

“Severus?” she ventures, licking her lip nervously. She catches his eyes darting to her mouth for a split second and her heart pounds.

“Yes?” he whispers.

“Thank you,” she says. “From the heart.”

*

Later, much later, when he threads the delicate pin into her greying hair and presses a kiss into the bare skin of her shoulder, she finally says it, this thing that has been caught in her mouth for what must be years – “I love you, Severus” – and he smiles. 


End file.
